There is a desire among surgeons to approach the lower lumbar region from an oblique approach, and secondly, a desire to have a more minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedure.
This approach would locate the patient on their side, vs. flat on their back, as with a typical anterior approach for surgery. A disadvantage to the patient being flat on their back is that all the abdominal organs and vessels must be retracted away to expose the anterior face of the spine. When approaching the spine with the patient on their side, gravity aids in this retraction, naturally pulling the intestines and other vessels out and away from the spine, virtually creating an open space for the surgeon to work within.
MIS is a current buzz word among surgeons. Surgeons want to create the smallest incision possible to complete their procedure because there is less morbidity to the patient and therefore recovery time is faster and overall results are usually better. So, while this oblique approach is desirable, it is also desired to minimize the surgical site. It only makes sense since, the larger the implant, the larger the incision must be to insert it through. The collapsing design of this implant reduces the insertion width to approximately ⅓ of its fully deployed size. This shape and size will enable the option to use dilator tubes vs. an open incision. Dilator tubes only require a very small incision, similar to laparoscopic type procedures.